Pikmin World Safari
by Deadly Raptor
Summary: The records of a xenobiologist in training, describing his explorations of the Distant Planet and the strange life forms he encounters.
1. Red Bulborb and Flint Beetle

**This chapter was rewritten as of 8/3/10. The main difference is the extended intro.**

**PART ONE: THE GRASSLANDS**

It was a special day. The day that Olimar would grant me and my fellow xenobiologists permission to explore the planet for a maximum of one year. However, he did send some regulations.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, so let me provide an introduction. I am a professor that works at the D.P.W.R.C, or Distant Planet Wildlife Research Center. Using specialized probes, we dedicate ourselves to learning all we can about the strange creatures inhabiting the Distant Planet, or as we code-named it, Planet O.

We'd been wanting to actually visit the planet ourselves for some field research, but after a small incident involving poachers, coordinates to Planet O are strictly a secret. We're aren't even allowed to use our own company probes for research; we're forced to borrow ones owned and pre-sent by Hocotate Freight, not that I'm complaining...

So the D.P.W.R.C and Hocotate Freight managed to strike a deal, determined by their chairman, Olimar. We could venture to the planet, so long as we didn't actively interfere with its natural workings (outside of emergencies). He also suggested that, for our safety, we use highly sophisticated vehicles known as anti-gravity cones. They were mechanized cone-shaped devices roughly twice the size of his golden ship, each possessing a glass canopy (for the pilot to see through) and four extended devices that give off a magnetic pulse. This "anti-gravity" pushes the cone away from the ground so that it essentially floats. Somewhat ironically, it was possible to operate virtually every function from the seat.

Once everything had been set straight, the cones were stored into a massive mother ship, which whisked us away to Planet O. Needless to say, the ship was piloted by a Hocotate Freight Employee, but the captain himself was none other than Shiyo, Olimar's son. What an honor it was to have the young Captain on the ship! To my knowledge, he's been an aspiring explorer since childhood.

Since large ships are slower than small ones, even at hyper speed, it took us about a day to get there, instead of the hour it takes Olimar's ship.

After the main ship attained orbit around Earth, the seven expedition members (including myself) were launched into the atmosphere in our cones. The sensation of barreling towards the planet like torpedoes was almost terrifying. But as we drew closer to the ground, the cones sent out a surge of anti-gravity that quickly broke our falls. Still floating high in the sky, we had a discussion via the communication system. We all agreed that we'd start in the plains and split up.

_Though many of O's predators will go after any animal they can take on, the gluttonous Red Bulborb tends to be selective of its prey, feeding primarily on species returning to their nests at night._

Hovering through the plains, I came to appreciate the beauty of the world full of poisonous oxygen almost immediately. Hocotate was a barren wasteland with a tree here and there, while this place thrived with plants. In the middle of my serenity, I noticed one of the most familiar animals on the planet a while away.

I approached it and saw that it was a Red Bulborb, sleeping due to its nocturnal habits. Something that I didn't count on was it waking up due to me hovering near its face. When I realized I had gotten too close for comfort, I quickly rose far off the ground as the large beast rose and chased after me. After a following me for a brief period, the bulborb turned around, stomped back to its resting place and went back into slumber. How could any predator come after something much larger than itself? Did it make the correct assumption that the machine was but a mere machine and that the real organism was inside?

_During an attack by a Fuzzy Fangling, Peach Pikmin instinctively mash together when fleeing. This creates a confusing sonar image for the Fangling, reducing the risk of an attack._

Seemingly flushed by the commotion caused by the bulborb, a Flint Beetle leapt out of a nearby grass field. Knowing that this creature was built for speed, I set my cone's speed setting on high as I approached it. It scooted around very swiftly, and, deciding I had done enough, backed off. The beetle eventually darted into a bush and settled down.

As the sun setted, I recollected what I had done on my first day as a few Honeywisps floated by. Remembering the flint beetle, I was sure that no creature could get past its armored shell, which provides a formidable defense against predators such as pikmin; which host a natural dislike for the species (reasons unknwon).

Little did I know that I'd soon discover a new animal that preyed upon flint beetles regularly.


	2. Flint Flipper and Yellow Pikmin

**This chapter was rewritten as of 8/3/10. The main difference is the redesign of the Flint Flipper.**

Ch.2- Flint Flipper and Yellow Pikmin

As of day 2, I was on the search for an animal that I had never seen, but heard about. It's name was the Flint Flipper, a crepuscular animal that was supposedly predatory. But what did it prey on? And why was it named the flint flipper? The answer to that question quickly became obvious when I observed its feeding habits.

_The Flint Flipper is an animal that resembles a brown gliding lizard with six limbs and tail ending in a sting. It spends (most of) the day sleeping in trees and rises to hunt at evening and morning hours. It prefers a diet of Flint Beetles._

I would have missed this animal resting on a tree branch if my radar hadn't alerted me to its presence. Trying not to alarm the creature, I kept my distance.

I spent the next 15 minutes watching it lie there in the darkness of the night, until I heard the scuttling of a Iridescent Flint Beetle. This apparently got the Flint Flipper's attention, as it rose to its feet.

It was now looking at the ground, flicking its tail about as the Flint Beetle scooted around. Suddenly, the Flint Flipper leapt off the branch and took flight as it extended its flaps!

Well, technically it was gliding, but none the less it was soon above the Flint Beetle. And, without warning, it rolled up the flaps, dove to the ground and landed on top of the beetle!

_Flint Flippers will rarely attack large animals, but it still happens. I witnessed one attack a cloaking Burrow-Nit, which is just about as long and tall as a Flint Flipper(not including the Flipper's tail)._

In a but a mere second, the Flipper sprang off with a pulse from all six of its legs. The force sent the Flint Beetle into the air, making half a flip before landing clean on its back! Regurgitating a pellet, the beetle had no time a right itself before the Flipper stabbed it in the underbelly with its barb tail. It was a speedy and skilled death, and the predator was free to reap the rewards of insect flesh using its sharp rows of teeth.

I followed another Flint Flipper I had encountered later on, this time hunting a small group of yellow pikmin that were left behind and had taken shelter in the trees.

_Yellow Pikmin apparently love high places. All of the yellow pikmin I encountered were usually sitting in trees._

But this hunt wouldn't be as easy as the one the first Flipper was in. The Yellow Pikmin had spotted the predator and leapt from tree to tree to escape. The undaunted Flipper sprang into the air and began gliding. Despite my doubts that it would catch any of them, it managed to kill three.

The first one was killed when it lost its footing and fell off a branch. The Flipper managed to catch it in midair and ate it before latching onto the side of a tree.

The second one was killed when it ended up getting intercepted by a small branch in mid jump. The Flint Flipper attacked it, breaking the branch in the process. The yellow pikmin fell to the ground but survived. However, the stick fell down soon after and landed on top of it, stunning it badly before it was dispatched. This was a result of good luck. Or, in the pikmin's case, bad luck.

The third one died when it made the mistake of clinging to a tree. The Flint Flipper quickly clang to the same tree and pried the yellow off, using its tail as a skewer. By now, the other pikmin were far away, so the Flint Flipper gained height and awaited its next meal.


	3. Fuzzy Fangling and Pikno

**This chapter was rewritten as of 8/3/10. The main difference is the redesign and renaming of the Fuzzy Fangling.**

Few flying creatures on the planet are more fearsome than the Fuzzy Fangling. Appropriately named, this large bat has a thin coat of brown fur obscuring all body parts except for the wings, ears, legs and (to a lesser extent) the mouth. Our team initially assumed the eyes were hidden under the fur, but further investigation revealed that it has no eyes to begin with!

_Fuzzy Fanglings are well adjusted to flying. They are born on the fly, feed on the fly, and can sometimes even mate on the fly. They only land to sleep, which is the sole reason why their legs haven't atrophied. Slightly larger than withering blowhogs, they are fearsome predators, swooping down to seize prey in their fanged maws._

The first kill I witnessed from one of these monstrosities was that of a Watery Blowhog. A herd of them were grazing on some Pellet Posies, using their liquids to blast down the stems and feed on the pellets. Having no eyes, Fanglings rely on sonar. In this case, they use a series of high pitched pings. The blowhogs more or less saw the Fangling and they all scattered. Being able to only chose on target, the Fangling swooped in on a random blowhog and bit into its side. Gored and in no position to fight back, the blowhog collapsed. The Fangling commenced to feeding.

I caught up with a second Fangling that was preparing to attack a group of Piknos. However, this one would not fly back up with a little snack. It would never fly again.

Piknos are a subspecies of yellow pikmin that are smaller than reds but bigger than whites. They are grey with black stripes and, in the wild, are observed to be slightly more intelligent than their cousins. In the dark, the permanent yellow bulb on their heads is bio-illuminated. This allows the Pikno to easily navigate in dark places.

As the Fangling loomed overhead, the piknos quickly defended themselves by crowding together and then running (a similar defense tactic is seen with Peach Pikmin, and it is believed the Piknos learned from this). This provided the predator with a confusing sonar image, and all it could do now is tag along until an opportunity arose. As chance would have it, one of the piknos lost its footing and smacked into another one, causing them to fall over as the others continued to run away. The two animals lay stunned on the ground while impending doom approached.

_Peach Pikmin defend themselves from predators by scattering so it may only choose a few targets. The Fangling is the only predator that triggers a "band together" reaction from them. As a result, it can be assumed that they have a close evolutionary history._

As the Fangling dove at a Pikno that was squirming on the ground, it managed to get back up to its feet again and jumped on top of the flyer as it swooped by and started attacking with its bulb. Since it couldn't fly around all day with its own prey taking shots at its back, the fangling made a 360 degree spin to shake it off.

The Pikno scrambled to its feet and rejoined the group as they once again assumed defensive position. Frustrated, the fangling flew close to the ground behind the piknos, waiting for another opportunity for a clean shot. Then something unexpected happened.

The pikno herd stopped and stepped away from each other, ready. The fangling, now having a clear sonar image of each individual, went head on after one of them. Then, at the very last second, the pikno jumped out of the way. The skewer curved to fly upwards but ended up crashing into a FlyTrap Onion! (Black onion with red markings)

The piknos had arranged it so that the skewer would crash! As the beast lay dazed on the ground, angry FlyTrap pikmin (black in color) poured out of the damaged and capsized onion and attacked while the piknos fled. As the angry mass was tearing the skewer apart, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the predator, though I did get the sense that a certain ironic justice had been dealt.


	4. Grass Bulborb and Minilope

**This chapter was rewritten as of 8/3/10. The main difference is the redesign of the Minilope. A picture of one can actually be found on the DeviantART upload of this chapter.**

Minilopes trotted about the planes, keeping a close vigil. In fact, Minilopes are so sensitive that even a small chime will cause them to shoot their heads up in alarm. They are fast too, leaving noisy creatures like Fanglings or slow predators like Dwarf Red Bulborbs at a deep disadvantage. Their small "horns" also give them minimal defense.

But a pack of Grass Bulborbs wouldn't back off because of this.

Minilopes are one of the most difficult creatures to outrun on the entire planet. They are very sensitive to noise and can provide a chase for a superspicy white pikmin when excited or extremely alarmed. They reach the height of a flint beetle, not including the antlers, and are very slim. They resemble brown stick insects in form, with four long legs for galloping and horn-like antenna. Like most insects, their legs are attached to their sides, but unlike most insects, the legs are built so that their joints are lower than their heads. Altogether, they hold a vague resemblance to deer.

Suddenly, a small troop of Minilopes burst into view, galloping at high speeds. This caused the other Minilopes to instinctively run too. The threat they were running from were some Grass Bulborbs (you've probably already guessed that), which were quickly left in the dust. However, these Grub Dogs were masters at interception.

About the size of adult bulbmin, Grass Bulborbs are the only grub dogs that partake in cooperative hunting. The one that catches the prey is usually the one that gets to eat it. They are green in the backside, have light green heads and purple spots.

As the Minilopes fled, another Grass Bulborb was waiting on the other side of the field where the herd was heading. When the time came, it leapt out and attacked a single Minilope as the others scattered. The animal made a sharp turned and ran in a different direction, the Grass bulborb in hot pursuit. Yet another Grass Bulborb strode towards the Minilope from the side, and again the creature made a turn. The Bulborbs that had launched the initial attack split up and charged at the Minilope from different sides.

The skittish animal just barely managed to avoid these three as they gave chase from three different directions. But as these three were at it, the other two were preparing for their next move.

As the Minilope appeared to be escaping, one of the Bulborbs shot a green blob of semi-transparent sludge at it. The Minilope quickly veered to dodge it. It was at this very moment that the second Grass Bulborb ran out of the plants to seize the creature in mid turn. I watched as the predator slowly gulped down the helpless prey. It had been a successful hunt, and all five pack members lumbered off into the distance.

The Pearly Clamclamp is one of the few predators on the planet that relies on luring and trapping prey rather than simply hunting it down.

The second Minilope kill I had seen that day was by a Pearly Clamclamp, near a pond. A Minilope herd had cautiously approached the creature, and then one of them leapt into the creature's maw without hesitation! It then occurred to me that the Minilope was drawn to its pearl. As the herbivore's attention was directed at the glittering object, it didn't even notice the Clamclamp clamping down...

When the creature clamped, the rest of the herd immediately sprang in the other direction. All I heard after that was the sound of digestion as the ClamClamp "chewed."


	5. Thunderbug and Firebug

**This chapter has been rewritten as of 8/5/10. There are no significant differences aside from the addition of a field note.**

PART TWO: THE FLOWER FOREST

Night had fallen across the forest, and the land had taken its change. The various nocturnal animals began to rise. Naturally, I was willing to sacrifice a few hours of sleep to observe these species.

One such animal was the thunderbug, a firefly-type animal that was slightly larger than a snitchbug. The insect is iconic for possessing a brightly glowing rear light. Despite their magnificent glow and being seemingly harmless, these animals were aerial predators, feeding on smaller insects they encounter. After a catch, it can either eat on the fly or carry it up onto a high ledge. In a world where the predator can easily become the prey, it pays to eat above ground.

The firebug is a close relative, but it lacks wings. And instead of glowing bright yellow, it glows red. It is also a predator that has a pair of flexible, retracable pincers for snaring prey.

_The names of the thunderbug and firebug are misnomers. They do not harness electricity nor fire, respectively._

A major drawback in both the predator's form of communication is that the glowing light attracts predators. Thunderbugs and Firebugs do indeed have total control over whether they glow or not, but it is this same glow that attracts the animal's main prey, Scuttle Scarabs; shiny, water bug-like relatives of anode beetles that are nocturnal and midnight blue in color.

_Despite having the appearance of a giant water bug, Scuttle Scarabs are not predators nor can they swim well._

Unfortunately, I fell asleep sooner than expected, so further information is unavailable.


	6. Lougomorph and Fuzzet

**This chapter was rewritten as of 8/5/10. I redesigned the lougomorphs and fuzzets and got rid of the palomorphs altogether. I also changed some of the events.**

It was any normal day on Planet O. Minilopes were grazing in the field, snitchbugs flew overhead, and a whiskerfly opportunistically sucked grass nectar that was left exposed by the minilopes.

All was peaceful, until some sort of... orange rabbit walked out of a brush of plants and joined the graze. The Minilopes, obviously unsettled by its larger size, moved over a bit. Surprised, I contacted mission control to find out what it was. The creature was named the Louie's Space Bunny, or Lougomorph, to commemerate Louie's infamous Space Bunny encounter. Personally, I think he was lying, but I still found this a quite humorous.

Though, I was mildly unsettled by the appearance of this animal. The actual Space Bunnies themselves are cute and fluffy. This one had red eyes and what appeared to be a third ear.

_The Lougomorph is a very fast animal and is extremely evasive. The size of a dwarf bulborb, these white beasts rival the Minilope in speed. They are regarded as both very strange and as pests because, while harmless to pikmin above ground, they will actually eat sprouts that haven't been plucked yet. The reason for this overly-specific predatory behavior is not clear._

Suddenly, the Minilopes' heads all shot up. The whiskerfly flew away and the lougomorph stood on its back legs. A brown fuzzet was slithering towards them. The minilopes scattered and the lougomorph dashed towards what I soon realized was its burrow. But the fuzzet was a sleek, weasel-like animal and easily pursued it into the burrow. Several moments later, several Lougomorphs burst out of the hole, running away.

In a few minutes, the last lougomorph emerged, trying to dislodge the smaller predator that was biting into its neck. The hapless animal kicked and struggled, and I couldn't help but feel pity for it, but this would end soon. The fuzzet struggled to hold on, but it finally lost its grip when it was swung into the ground. The prey made its escape.

Granted that the fuzzet is but a small, earless and legless predator that relies on guerilla tactics, you'd think such attacks would always end in failure. But this is not the case. For a species about the size of a hocotation, it has an incredible ability to take down animals twice its size, usually lougomorphs. They are also infamous for attacking and clinging onto captains, at which point it needs to be removed by the pikmin as they're hard to shake off.

On the flipside, such attacks tend to end in disaster when the wrong target is selected. At one point, I observed one attacking a dwarf bulborb. It was a terrible mistake; the fuzzet couldn't properly lacerate its victim and was driven into the ground, at which point it was reduced to prey itself.

Later that day, I had received a request from mission control to explore the North Valley, a dry area full of bushes and dark colored grass. It was the Bush-Desert (what we came to call it). And so I set my course to the new region.


	7. Arboreal Skuarl and Brown Pikmin

**This chapter has been rewritten as of 8/8/2011. The skuarls have been redesigned, and the brown pikmin scene has been changed to accommodate my revamped idea.**

PART THREE: THE DUSTY VALLEY

The area I had arrived in was vast and full of hills both small and tall, with dry plants and grass covering them as the dusty yet sturdy ground spread into the horizon. At the bottom of a steep divide was a creek, surrounded by many lush trees and plants, which I was to explore later.

I decided to settle with a hill that was large and tall. As I approached a small, flat grass covered area on the hillside, I caught site of the wildlife.

_The Arboreal Skuarl, a distant relative of the squirrel, spends most of its time foraging year round. In order to adapt to their environment, they have evolved to be drastically smaller and more gruff in appearance, having lost their bushy tails in favor of flat ones. The dark grey fur, pointy ears, empty green eyes and sharp teeth give skuarls a somewhat unsettling appearance. They are infamous for gliding down from trees to pull surprise attacks on captains, but oddly are not known to prey on pikmin. The reason for this bias is unknown, but what's clear is that this species is always alert; the ones I encountered were always quick to run away from Spotty Bulbears and Abnets, even if they were at a distance._

Numerous Lougomorphs were grazing on the grass as two individuals rested under the shade of a tree. Some Arboreal Skuarls nibbled on what appeared to be carrion. On a slightly higher elevation (the upper slope), a small troop of Minilopes rested on the slanted dirt, under the cover of the ferns blanketing it. Whiskerflies, of course, were there to feed on the nectar that was left behind by the grazers. Their brilliant red and purple patterned wings never failed to catch my eye.

But the peace was soon to end. A Spotty Bulbear, which is normally found in the further areas of the Valley, appeared from the lower slope. The Whiskerflies were the first to make their exit.

As the Bulbear sniffed the air, the Minilopes stood up. Waving their antennae briefly, they hurried up the upper slope. The Lougomorphs were soon to follow in a similar fashion, and the Skuarls made a beeline for a large tree in the distance.

That was that. The Bulbear's menu options were clearly out of stock, and it didn't have much else to do but continue its patrol. It was already sunset by now, and there were not other creatures in sight, so I called it a day.

The next day, the ground was moist and there were pools of mud everywhere. Apparently, it had rained while I was asleep. I moved my anti-gravity vehicle down the slope to the base of the hill, and I was very delighted to encounter brown pikmin.

_Brown pikmin have a mole on their left cheeks and use their curved, root-like claws for digging purposes. Incidentally, these claws may also function as actual roots, as they absorb more nutrition and bloom faster when buried. _

They were hard at work, using their claws to shovel away the mud that was getting in their way. This was a very convenient trait as frail creatures such as pikmin often have great trouble traveling through mud, especially when they're close to or at the bottom of the food chain. I hoped to witness them dig a full-fledged tunnel, too, but it didn't happen.

Throughout the course of my trip, I encountered many pikmin species. I'll get into them as I go on, but next, I would encounter a very startling predator...

**Credit goes to Great Thumbs of Wisdom for the Abnet, which gets an actual appearance next chapter.**


	8. Brown Bulborb and Abnet

**This chapter was rewritten as of 8/22/11. None of the changes I made are significant, though, so consider this something of a "relic" chapter.**

A horrific sight laid in front of my eyes that morning. It was a Spotty Bulbear one that was dead and horribly mutilated. Its back had been sliced open, most of its internal organs were missing, and its lower jaw had been torn off. I was looking at the gruesome works of an animal that could easily dispatch a full grown Bulbear!

An Abnet was the animal that did this, and I was there to bear witness to the violent kill. The Bulbear had been wandering the fields in search of potential prey, until the ill tempered beast (which, judging by its size, was female) came charging from nearby. Before the Bulbear could even utter a roar, the Abnet tore into its back with one of her sickle-like appendages. The Bulbear gave out a loud, gurgling sigh as it came thundering to the ground and died. The Abnet proceeded to do her bidding with the carcass, leaving it in the pathetic state it was now.

_Abnets are very fearsome monstrosities that hunt on the planet in small numbers. The females are the size of Bulborbs, while the males are around the size of adult Emperors and usually guard the nest while the female hunts. They have six legs for walking on and two front, sickle-like arms. On their necks are a ball shaped head with two small eyes that match the color of the body (making them hard to notice), and a hungry mouth rowed with sharp teeth. __The closest thing I can link this species to is a mantis. Possessing great strength, they have a strong sense of smell and clear eyesight. They are also very sensitive and can pick up even a small shockwave in the ground. However, they are not particularly fast, and are completely deaf, though this hardly matters with the other senses to compensate. Being of a diverse family, there are other varieties than the common orange Abnet._ _These include species such as the Pygmy Abnet and the mighty Stone Legs, which has only ever been seen three times in the mountains._

I learned later on that Abnets are rarely seen in the region as they aren't native to it. I almost wished I wouldn't encounter one again...

Another large but less aggressive animal I encountered that same day was the Brown Bulborb. The Grub-Dog with a brown body, tan face and peach spots was sleeping when I first found it, so I came back later at sundown.

_Brown 'Borbs are a hardy species and are known for taking huge beating before finally succumbing. They have a considerable resistance to poison as well._

The first thing it did was attack a Desert Slurpant, a serpentine creature related to the Scale Worm. Although Slurpants have been seen devouring Dwarf Bulborbs (and just about anything smaller, too), this specimen behaved like just another prey animal when it saw the Bulborb. It managed to escape with its life.

_The Slurpant is infamous for its baffling appetite, often seen with lumps in its belly from devoured creatures. Interestingly, its head is completely featureless; it doesn't even has eyes or a distinguished snout. Instead of constricting prey, it snares them with its jagged tongue, which ends in a spear rather than a fork-like shape commonly seen in snakes. It isn't clear how it perceives its surroundings, but it may have something to do with the cone-shaped growth on its tail, the beast's only weak point..._

A short time later I stumbled upon a pair of Brown Bulborbs feeding on a group of white pikmin that had been left behind. Strangely, they showed no ill-affects from the poison. They were immune.

**Credit goes to Great Thumbs of Wisdom for the Abnets.**


	9. Peekaborb and Wogpole

**Rewritten as of 3/4/12.**

It was my last week in this region, so I decided to spend it investigating reports of a clutch of yellow wollywog eggs.

On my way to the egg site, I saw a small cloud of dust appear out of seemingly nowhere. When I flew my vehicle closer, it turned out that the dust was coming out of a burrow. I dismissed it as a sheargrub and prepared to leave. But just then, the creature inside appeared. It was not a sheargrub, but a grub-dog known as the Peekaborb.

_Peekaborbs are a very small species of Grub Dog and reside in underground tunnels. They prefer to burrow in soil that's damp and/or loose since they aren't as well equipped for burrowing as other subterranean species. The species entirely green (save for the rough, grey snout it digs with) with crystal blue eyes, and hunts by attacking prey from any number of thinly veiled burrows._

The peekaborb immediately retreated into the burrow. I knew right away that it was pursuing its next meal, as a lone brown pikmin was nearby. With startling accuracy, the peekaborb popped out of a different hole and grabbed the hapless pikmin, and just as quickly retreated into the ground. All that remained of the hunting scene was a hole. Peekaborbs reminded me a lot of Sniflers, which are related to Grub-Dogs, but I'll talk about those later.

I waited a little while for further activity the peekaborb, but nothing happened. Growing bored, I decided to head to the creek like I had originally planned.

_The Distrus Fly is a marvelous blue insect related to the damselfly, and resides around lakes and creeks. They are around the size of snitchbugs and are speedy predators. Interestingly, it only has two limbs, having lost the other four over the course of evolution, and is capable of hanging by or even standing on its tail. While fast and precise, the distrus fly is also extremely frail; the weight of three pikmin is enough to ground it, and once it's down, it has no method of defending itself. It's advised to wait until the distrus fly attacks, however, as its eyesight allows it to easily detect and avoid attacks._

After some searching, I found two adult wollywogs. One of them was sitting on the wet bank, and the other was splashing water onto a low hanging branch by jumping. On closer inspection, I saw that the branch had translucent eggs resting on it. Apparently, laying them in the branch was a measure against the local water dumples.

I hung around that area, keeping my distance as to not disturb the wollywogs. About a day later, the eggs began to hatch. Newborn wogpoles dropped into the water one by one, swimming under the rocks and foliage for cover. Their task complete, the two wollywogs stick around for long.

_You can tell just young(or old) a wogpole is by the presence or absence of external gills, which they have at birth but lose as they start to mature. The ones Olimar encountered on this first crash landing were very young as they had the external gills, while the ones on his treasure hunt were older and had already lost them._

I was surprised by how quickly the wogpoles were left on their own, but the Wollywog's parental instinct only lasted until the eggs had hatched.

A few days later, the wogpoles that hadn't fallen prey to dumples had grown to a larger size and were too large to be eaten by them now. Now there were 15 out of the original 30.

_Water Dumples are a complete and total enigma in the animal kingdom, even for grub-dogs. While Bulborbs seem to be in a freakish limbo between mammals and amphibians_, _the position that dumples hold is completely blurred. Interestingly, they are the only Grub-Dogs who lay eggs._

By the eve of my last day in the region, there were twelve wogpoles left, as three of them had drifted further down the creek. I'm not certain if they survived or not, but they probably did as all parts of the creek provide dead foliage, rocks and surface algae as cover.

By the day I left the dust bowl, the wogpoles had begun to develop their back legs.


	10. BONUS: Musical Long Legs and Ragunix

**You are looking at the very first bonus chapter for PWS. These take place during unspecified times of the parts they follow; in this case, part three. The purpose of these is to include ideas that didn't arrive in time for the GameTalk version**.

**Credit goes to Dspr for the pukmin and stealing snitchbug, V Rex for the Musical Long Legs, and Major Freddy for the Ranugix and the Anisohawks( both of which were named by me).**

I was watching early in the morning as a few small, brown pikmin subspecies, known as pukmin, carried a dead dwarf brown bulborb to their onion(for the pukmin species, there are multiple onions, though they are destroyable). The land surrounding us was mostly barren, with a few bushes here and there along with patches of short grass. What would inevitably turn out to be a conflict scene was unfolding before me as I also observed a black scarpanid with long arms and fingers fly overhead. As it got closer and closer to the scene, I could see anticipation in its being as its fingers squirmed about. It stopped, identified the target, and dove in. It grabbed the dead organism on the swoop and carried it in another direction as the angry pukmin chased after it. Based on its grabbing habits, it must've been a Stealing Snitchbug.

The Snitchbug eventually dropped the prize and the pukmin hastily gathered the carcass and towed it away, faster than before. This always had me wondering, as there is no such thing as a Snitchbug that actually eats what it puts all that effort out to grab. The only Snitchbug that actually eats what it catches is the Sea Snitchbug, and that's not even a real scarpanid; it's from a subfamily.

_A Femibug's (related to the ladybug) coloration depends on the season it is in when it pupates. Spring and Summer cause it to emerge as red with black spots, while Fall produces orange with black spots. This is a clever adaptation that lets it blend in with its birth setting. Nobody knows what a Winter-born looks like since Femibugs don't reproduce during Winter. They feed on the typical pests like Shearcuts and other small mini-beasts, and can release a horribly smelling fluid from their undersides. Due to this, a common tactic is to kill one is to flip it over with a purple pikmin and then use Ultra Bitter Spray._

The pukmin eventually made it back to their Onion, which had a primitive wooden cage around it, and the carcass was absorbed. I was feeling pretty strange at this point as I kept hearing this strange music, yet none of the discs on my cone's music player had been activated. Was my mind playing tricks on me?

I decided to investigate and drove my cone in the direction of the location that the music seemed to be coming from; the other side of a long hill. The music got louder the closer I got to my destination, and I was sure at that point that I wasn't just hearing things. I made it over the hill just as the music ended, and the culprit was standing right before me. It was an Arachnorb, but what kind of Arachnorb was this? It was shiny black from head to foot, and it had a protrusion on its head that was shaped like an "eighth note". It played another tune, this one much briefer, and its movements seemed to coincide with the music it was playing.

I actually started dancing as it played an epic symphony, followed by something else. Seven minutes passed before I finally got a hold of myself, realizing that this wasn't a music video. I took a few moments to look the beast up. It was a Musical Long Legs and it, apparently, didn't actually produce the sounds it gave off. I booted up my signal receiver and tried to use it to find the channel it was getting its songs from, but nothing matched. Was it transmitting waves from another dimension...? To this day I'm still not sure.

I left the Musical Long Legs to itself. On my way back over the hill, I got a radio transmission from one of my nearby colleagues. He said that an immense(he put an emphasis on immense) beast was thundering its way towards my poistion, but it was very slow so he advised me to head in its direction rather than wait for it. I turned my cone slightly and headed there. He sounded serious when he said it was big, but how big was this thing?

I was really starting to think about that when I got closer and closer to his coordinates. I could hear thundering footsteps. Various creatures, including Flint Beetles, Unmarked Spectralids, Cryptiles and Red Bottles scampered everywhere having been flushed out by the shockwaves. I took a good look into the distance, and a broad silouette was in plain view, and I was starting to regret never asking if this beast was dangerous or not. I tried to contact my colloeague but the connection was busy. Then again, it was supposed to be slow, right?

From the same direction as the large beast, two insects came in my direction and started flying in incomplete paths around the anti-gravity cone. They were like dragonflies, with four large wings tinted with orange, and the entire body about twice as large as snitchbugs, but they were orange in color, and had two eyes on each side of their heads. They pecked at my cone a few times before flying away towards the beast again. Tired of waiting, I set the cone to the fastest speed and headed for the monster. I swear that my jaw dropped lower and lower the closer I had gotten.

The creature was absolutely _**massive**_; triple the size of an adult emperor bulblax. This was astonishing for a land animal on this planet. It had two eyes on each side of its head(like the insects that I eventually found out to be called Anisohawks), very tough skin, and four legs.

_Like the Sectile and Sholika, I knew I would have trouble describing the animal known as the "Ragunix", so I recovered digital artwork: /64b7dr (The creatures flying in the sky are made up and the artist made a mistake, as the Ragunix actually has rocky black skin and not smooth skin, plus, it doesn't have an orange back)._

It was obviously non- aggressive as it payed little attention to the fleeing bulborbs that it awakened. I decided to name this specimen Ragnak.

But something weird was happening. The Anisohawks, easily hundreds or maybe even thousands of them, were flying around it, some leaving and some joining the frenzy. I wanted to know why this was happening so I got closer, and what I found out literally left me speechless.

The Ragunix was a walking, breathing hive. Ragnak was covered in holes that were normally sealed, but when I flew next to his body, I saw the holes open up to let in landing Anisohawks. Scans showed that they not only hid in there for protection(the beast was heavily armored) but also for sleep and reproduction. This had to be a symbiotic relationship. But what was Ragnak getting out of all these Anisohawks? There are many theories, but the most plausible(and my favorite) is that the insects are feeding him from the inside out. This makes sense as Ragnak moved very slowly, too slowly to catch anything, and he never ate any vegetation during my observation time. Such a large beast would surely have to eat a lot. If this was true, which I believe it is, then all Ragnak had to worry about was location and water.

I was getting a bit tired of angry Anisohawks attacking my vehicle, so I kicked it into high gear and floated away, looking back until I could no longer see Ragnak, which took awhile considering that he/she was so...

When I came to a stop, I wondered if I would ever see the Ragunix I knew as Ragnak again, or any other Ragunix. The moment was interrupted by a sudden burst of music. Spooked, I turned around and the Musical Long Legs was tap dancing in my direction. I wasn't in the mood for this so I turned off my audio receiver. It was a long day for me yet it was still several hours until sunset, so I decided to just take a nap.

I woke up an hour later. Wanting to hear the ambient sounds of a natural environment, I turned the audio receiver back, only to hear music, again. I turned around, the Musical Long Legs was still there. I told it to go away but remembered that it can't hear me, let along understand me. Annoyed, I flew some distance away over some flat rocks. I got my wish as it was quiet, and there was also a Cannon Beetle regurgitating rock for two larvae so they could obtain digestive bacteria. Engrossed, I observed and even sketched.

Over the course of an hour, the sounds of only subtle gulps was slowly overshadowed by music. I spun around in my seat, the Musical Long Legs was dancing atop a flat stone. Was this thing following me?! I was getting rather annoyed up to this point as I didn't want to hear these random songs at every last turn as it was scaring away most of the wildlife. I finally called it a day and went to bed. When I woke the Musical Long Legs was gone.

Shortly after I wandered into a cave in a hollowed out tree, a young tree at that. When I hit the center, I noticed the shadow of... a web. I looked up and saw the MLL. I had found the web, meaning that this species was a predator like the other three arachnorbs.

And of course, it dropped down and played another song; this one matching the kind of mood you feel when you've been through something a few too many times...


	11. Chrysanthemum Species

**Rewritten 4/7/12.**

**The Peeking Pelletonium belongs to Hinsburg of Gamestop. If you have a few minutes, Google his fake Pikmin 3 walkthrough. He never finished it, but his pikmin and enemy species are very good.**

**Part Four: Return to the Flower Forest**

When the time came for me to leave the dust bowl, I remembered how brief my visit to the flower forest had been. So I set course there, hoping to gather more information.

It took me a little over an hour to get there. On the way over, one of my partners had contacted me and told me that he had trouble entering before due to the various subspecies of chrysanthemum. This only fueled my desire to enter.

_The Symmetric Boneback (Trachemys biformatus) is a bizarre, shelled creature that has a head on both ends of its body. A relative of the turtle, most of its body is protected by a shell that's actually made of bone. These heads are its only weak point, but strangely, both heads must be "killed" to defeat the creature. It takes advantage of its stretchy neck to grasp prey._

But he was right- as I tried to work my way deep into the forest, chrysanthemums sprung out of the ground and curbed my process. The vehicle's shielding protected me from their bites, but what the shielding couldn't do was move them out of the way. The tenacity they showed in attacking something as large as they were was impressive. Maybe they had made the correct conclusion that my vehicle wasn't alive and was merely shielding a much smaller organism inside?

Sick of the constant impediments, I searched for(and found) an area free of the hungry plants and parked there. From this little zone, I observed the small animals that wandered by, some of which were jumped and eaten by the chrysanthemums. Interestingly, not a single pikmin was ever fooled by the chrysanthemum's disguise.

Another common subspecies I encountered was the Ravenous Rose(_Taraxacum rosa_). Despite the name, the species is unrelated to roses. It, like other subspecies, merely branched off from the creeping chrysanthemum. When not disguised as a rose, the plant sports thorns on its mouth stalk and arms, a red body, and a clamping rose-like mouth. The thorns are very useful as they help the plant-creature keep its balance; creeping chrysanthemums often lose their balance due to their lack of feet and heaviness of their buds, but ravenous roses circumvent this by using their arm-thorns to grip the ground whenever necessary. They're much less vulnerable to attack as a result.

There were also several other related species that I cataloged. Take a look at the notes I took for two of them:

-Leaping Lily(_Taraxacum lilium_): This species disguised itself as a lily pad in water, revealing its blue body when alerted. It uses leaves surrounding its base to hop along rather than drag around. It lacks arms, but the leave provide adequate balance. The lily pad becomes a bowl like structure that it uses to suck up its prey at close range. Unfortunately, the species is dwindling in its native range due to its prey either being difficult to catch(wogpoles) or simply not being fooled by its disguise(blue pikmin).

-Peeking Pelletonium(_Plantae reclusiva)_: Though related to the chrysanthemum, this species is considered distinct enough to have its own genus and is therefore not a true subspecies. The pelletonium disguises itself as a pellet posies. But there are two ways to tell it's a fake: pelletoniums are found underground, where posies don't grow, and their stems are blue. The creature itself is bluish and more triangular than a creeping chrysanthmum.

I decided to take a rest, but I would soon encounter more than chrysanthemums in the forest.


	12. Swasp and Snavians

**Rewritten 4/7/2012.**

**The Thumb Snagret belongs to Hinsburg, and the Sneagle belonds to Dragonsandpikminrock.**

After the encounter with the various chrysanthemums, I saw many more creatures in the flower forest.

Like the Swasp, for example. The swasp is notable for its sexual dimorphism; the males are jet-black, have blue eyes, and can shoot poison out of their stingers. The females also have blue eyes, but do not produce poison and are gray colored.

There is also the fat, yellow larvae. When a female is fertilized, she creates what looks vaguely like a wasp hive, only shaped like a bowl, and on the ground. She then lays and egg in each "cell". After the eggs hatch, the female picks up any carcass she can find and drops it in the bowl to be devoured by the larva. After enough time passes, the larvae pupate and emerge as new swasps. Since they are blue when they emerge, it is difficult to tell what gender they are until their color sets in.

The reproductive habits of the swasp don't always stop at one bowl; one female was documented to be taking care of five different ones. Why the nests never seem to come under fire by larger creatures is a mystery, but it may be because the father is always looming nearby...

Another animal, the Snarrow, looks similar to the Burrowing Snagret(and is often confused for one), but it is only half the size and red in color. This species also burrows, but can sometimes be found slithering too. Small, but also determined and quick, these creatures help control the population of smaller creatures such as Pellet Hoppers, Shearcusts, and Sheargrubs.

_The Icy Blowhog is a blowhog variant that does not occur as often as the other blowhogs. This creature a freezing liquid out of its light blue snout. The Watery Blowhog spits fluid because it doesn't produce the igniting catalyst present in the Fiery Blowhog, but how the icy blowhog derived its weapon is unclear._

With snarrows mentioned, there's other snavians that are on a smaller scale, such as the Thumb Snagret. Colored white, this bird-snake is hardly taller than a Dwarf Bulborb. However, it's very quick to burrow, and to strike. There's also the large scale snavians. The biggest snavian ever recorded is the Sneagle, twice as thick as the burrowing snagret and longer than the Pileated Snagret. It has a big, green and anaconda-like body and a poofy white head. The beak is like that of the usual snagret, but shorter and a little thicker. The brute hunts by forming a ring-like coil around its prey, trapping the victim while it attacks with its beak. This seemingly flawless hunting strategy is inhibited by how stubborn the beast can be; it almost never retreats back into the ground so long as its prey is still alive, even when it comes under attack.

Other than the snavians, I'd been noticing these odd, tall flowers that have been growing around the forest. They had pink petals and were slanted, like Burgeoning Spiderworts. I looked them up and they were called Pinken-Buds, the petals of which can be used to make Ultra-Sweet Spray. It is said the spray has the mysterious affect of turning pikmin invisible.

_The pellet hopper is a common insect with great jumping ability. It has a yellow head, a red body and blue antennae. Unlike the grasshopper, it only has four legs, and as a result, its body is much more compact and its knees point outward. The wings are used to prolong air time, but aren't capable of true flight. It is generally considered a pest due to the fact that it attacks Pellet Posies. Many of them fall victim to Peeking Pelletoniums._


	13. Shearcust and Gushworm

**Rewritten 4/7/12.**

**Reminder: Peeking Pelletoniums were made by Hinsburg of Gamespot.**

One thing I find rather astonishing on this planet is the unrivaled voracity of Shearcusts. Sure, there are Whiskerpillars, but they tend to be selective of what they feed on. Shearcusts, on the other hand, will eat almost anything they can find. I witnessed a flock of the orange creatures pilfer the forest itself! But I'm getting ahead of myself, so allow me to back up.

It started with a group of yellow pikmin tending to their Gushworms. They brought food such as pellets and carcasses to the gushworms, and in return, the gushworms would produce drops of lime-green fluid from their hind quarters. The pikmin would drink it and, to my surprise, grow berries on their heads! Since yellow pikmin have white flowers, the berries were red in color. The exact details of this process aren't currently understood, but I found it quite interesting.

_Gushworms can easily be identified as creatures resembling caterpillars. They are twice as large and twice as long as whiskerpillars, and have distinctive smooth and toeless feet. The best way I can describe their appearance is that of a monarch butterfly larva during its '"large" stage in caterpillar development with a solid color. The males of this species are green, while the females are red. Feeding on deceased wildlife, Spiderwort berries and pellets, these creatures will lay their eggs in carcasses so the young can feed directly after hatching. The eggs are toxic but the hatchlings aren't._

This calm activity quickly changed to chaos as a swarm of shearcusts flew overhead, covering the ground in a drive of shadows. The yellow pikmin immediately became flustered.

_Shearcusts are the smallest of the mandiblards, resembling half-sized Shearwigs that are orange colored. These creatures are very good at flying, and gather in large numbers to feed on berries, Pellet Posies and pretty much all other edible plant life. Surprisingly, they have absolutely no taste for flesh or dead wood. Their main predators are animals that associate themselves with the shearcusts' food, such as Peeking Pelletoniums._

The orange pests devoured everything in sight. The pikmin struggled to fight them off, but it was no use. By the time it was over, all of the posies were gone and all the burgeoning spiderworts were bald. The swarm had been abnormally large. Whiskerflies swooped in and started feeding on the traces of nectar left behind by the devoured nectar weed. For the pikmin, it wasn't a total loss since they could take the spoils of their efforts back to the onion, but everything else had been more or less destroyed. It's definitely a good thing that shearcusts have so many predators...


	14. Spraying Mantis and Cloaking BurrowNit

**Rewritten 4/7/12.**

**Some of you may or may not have noticed that my capitalization appears to be inconsistent, so I wanted to clear something up: I only capitalize creature names the very first time they're mentioned in the chapter. I do this for no reason other than to announce the "arrival" of a species. If you saw the pattern, then props for you.**

Arthropods seem to make up most of the biota on this landmass, and they seem to have adapted to nearly every last niche available. Among them are some of the most precise and efficient predators are athropods. While non-arthropod species, like grub-dogs, are no doubt dangerously effective predators, the fact of the matter is that they're much less diverse. Bulborbs, Bulbears and Water Dumples alike all have the same basic method of engulfing the prey with relatively large jaws. The various arthropod carnivores, however, are far more diverse and specialized.

I accidentally spooked a flock of Unmarked Spectralids out of some plants on my last day in the forest. I'm not sure why explorers keep finding Flitterbies in foliage, even when there are no flowers, but I suppose that flitterbies (_Fenestari_) just aren't much like the Butterflies (_Lepidoptera_) they descended from. The spectralids in the flock were red, yellow and purple, along with some rare green and blue specimens. It isn't clear what the green and blue varieties feed on since the color is linked to the diet(yellows feed on nectar, reds feed on spicy juice, exc) as nobody has ever successfully killed and investigated the stomach contents of one.

They spectralids fluttered about above my position. None of them seemed interested in breaking away nor landing. I could only assume that they were waiting for me to leave in order to reassume their previous positions.

They wouldn't get the chance. Something whipped from behind a large leaf and took away a spectralid, but it happened so fast that I couldn't register what it was. The rest of the flock quickly dispersed. A pair of discarded wings softly floated to the forest floor. I checked the leaf to see what it was, but "it" jumped to a nearby branch as soon as I got there. Thankfully, it didn't move immediately after that. The culprit was a Spraying Mantis, an insect that uses lighting fast strikes and subtle movements to easily capture smaller animals. Its characteristic purple eyes glared at me.

_Spraying mantises aren't very large, at least compared to the apex predators. The biggest thing it can effectively bring down is the Antenna Beetle. Males are about the twice the height of Burrow-Nits while females are double this size. The spraying mantis has the ability to spray poison, but only as a form of defense. Its forelimbs have become thinner and more concise over the course of evolution, and its hunting strategy is to act laggardly and sluggish only to suddenly confound its prey with speed. They come in many different varieties, each suited for a different form of camouflage. The one I found in the forest was green and head a leaflike protrusions on various parts of its body._

I tried to get in closer, but the insect suddenly jumped to the ground. Coincidentally, I had just set up anther prey-reaction scene, because small group of antenna beetles were nearby. I wasn't sure why they were out in the open as antenna beetles prefer dark places. Perhaps they were searching for one? Regardless, the mantis made its presence obvious when it landed and the antenna beetles took their giant leaps without a moment's hesitation.

But the situation was far from over.

I didn't foresee what was about to happen. I followed the beetles to a clearing. Things were mostly quiet. I didn't think any other creature was nearby. But in a moment's notice, a white needle shot out of the ferns and pierced one of the beetles; it was then dragged along the ground to the source as the others fled. I moved to the other side of the ferns to see a cloaking burrow-nit sucking the juices right out of the flailing prey! The battle was already lost and the Beetle soon died. Soon, there'd be nothing left but a dry and punctured husk.

_Researchers are trying to crack the secret to the Purple Pikmin's mysterious ability to stand against generally annoying hazards. While the inability to be blown away can be easily explained by their size, their lack of aggravation in the presence of Mitites or near a roaring bulblax is still a controversial subject._

That was my final impression of the flower forest. It was time for me to go somewhere else.


	15. BONUS: Cayda Migration

**Update: I made a rather simple yet significant error in the original posting of this chapter. The info statement for the purple phant said it was like the blue phant, but in reality, it is like the brown phant. Now fixed.**

**Credits are at the bottom this time.**

**Reminder: The purpose of bonus chapters is to include ideas that didn't get to me... before the parts finished on the GameTalk versions. Bonus chapters will usually be posted on this site only.**

**I would like to thank the coyotes of Northridge (I don't live there, but I go there often) for inspiring the chatter-pups.**

The machine's sensors were going off late at night. To be specific, they were the ones meant to detect underground activity. Something gradual was happening underground, but at the rate it was happening, it didn't seem like I'd see it anytime soon.

Black pikmin were becoming prey one by one, and they were unknowingly causing it themselves. Pikmin-like sounds echoed through the forest, and the black pikmin were attracted by them. After they disappeared, all that could be heard were the sounds of a kill and more pikmin-like noise. The Chatter-Pups' imitation choirs did well at deceiving.

For many nights, I would hear their noisy barks, yipes and yodels. Despite the fact that they're native to the Bush-Desert, many of them were leaking into the forest. Completely adapted to the strange environment, they'd lure prey to them by imitating the calls of other animals, or would lure an actual predator into a secluded area (at which point it would be killed by more Chatter-Pups).

_Chatter-Pups are small, agile dog-like beasts with orange-brown fur, small pointed ears and a large snout (the snout to body ratio is similar to that of a bulborb, but not as drastic). They have long, cat like tails and flexible arms to climb over cliffs and walls. They are the clever predators twice the size of a dwarf bulborb. Anyone walking between two rock ridges can expect these demons to come climbing over the other side of one. Luckily, they are nocturnal. _

The next morning, the event before me was so blatant that you'd need to be blind to not notice. Small, tan insects with shovel-like forelimbs and large abdomens (Caydas) were emerging from underground in... thousands, and all heading in the same direction. Was this a migration?

The insect herd was pouring through and between the plants and heading for the bank of a shallow stream, then crossing it. I noticed a tiny lump in the ground near the base of the stream as well. Another Cayda emerging, perhaps? It started to move once one of the smaller-than-dwarf insects crawled into it.

The lump wasn't a Cayda. It was something completely different. I didn't know what it was myself, because it was the first time I had ever seen it. Imagine a ball of orange hair. Now give it three pairs of tiny feet below it, and three small teeth peeking out of the fur. Now add a big snout sticking out of the hair.

This freakish and somehow adorable predator had the Cayda trapped in its follicles, and was now being eaten by the hidden mouth. Standing on its two back legs, it finished and began rolling towards the other insects, causing a small panic. Caydas dispersed everywhere and the orderly movement was now a messy jumble. Many of them got back on track, others were trying to catch up and some were eaten.

Nothing else happened for a long time, save for a small distrubance caused by a "Volatile Blowhog" blowing itself up due to obvious aggravation by pikmin.

Another trial waited for them the next day after I caught up (they only take very brief rest breaks at night). They were being assualted by a Phant colony that was taking adavantage of the occassion. Each different Phant color attacked in a different way.

Brown- Simply by grabbing and hauling prey back to the nest.

Red- Small jets of fire by chemical compounds.

Yellow- Releasing "electric coats" around themselves.

Blue- Leaving behind droplets of blue liquid that are harmful if walked into.

Purple- Larger and stronger. Otherwise, like brown.

White- Run up to targets and explode, releasing a small pool of poisonous gas.

_Phants are often harmful to pikmin as they deplete food sources, like pellet posies and small animals._

Many escaped, but many others didn't. Numerous bodies littered the forest floor.

The next trial would be for, not the Caydas, but me! After the slaughter, my vehicle began to experience some technical difficulties. At first they were as minor as a few cracks of static and distorted sound, so I ignored it. But it eventually got much, much worse. My audio systems gave off these distorted, annoying sounds, and my control screens gave nothing but static and flashes. Simply put, I had lost control of my own machine! What I found even weirder is that this state of vulnerability for me kept going on and off like a light switch. What the heck was happening?!

Unfortunately, I crashed into a tree before I could actually send a distress message to the base that was orbiting the planet. Nothing was seriously damaged, but I decided that I wasn't going anywhere until it was fixed. The errors switched off again and I sent a message. When I got to read the reply, it instructed me to _get out of the cone _and look for something alive with an antenna jutting out of it, along with a suggestion of using pikmin, if I can find any.

Was I hallucinating? Wasn't that only for emergencies? Well, I guess this is technically an emergency, but I still couldn't believe it. As excited and scared as I was, I went through with it. No questions asked. I took the exit tube and was on the planet's surface.

I almost immediately tripped because I was used to walking on the cone's flat surface. The Cayda drive continued to move around me. It was odd. I felt as though I should be frightened, as well as enlightened, but it seemed normal to me...

My thoughts were interrupted when a burst of static hit my antenna. I sure wouldn't have any trouble finding to culprit now. Ironically, I came face to face with an antenna-creature when I went around a young tree. It looked like a Raging long legs, but much, much smaller, and faster. It was also black and obviously had an antenna. When it saw me, it emitted the same frequency, corrupting my antenna yet again, and fled. Nothing happened after that. So much for pikmin.

**A/N: The in game idea for the Fatal Blackout Bug had it give off frequencies, which would cause your screen to change to static. With only brief flashes of visibility.**

The drive suddenly veered in my direction. I ran into the pathway to see what was happening. A Mandaga (big red mandablard with long mandibles) had appeared and chomped a Cayda in half. Now fearful again, I ran towards my cone, tripping twice before i got to it. I pressed the digital screen and the cone sucked me in. I then started it back up. When I did, something fell right off. I only got to look at it for a few seconds before it hopped its way back up into the tree branches, but it looked like a wollywog... only more frog-like...

_The Spiked Bulborb is only the size of a Grass Bulborb, but it's still formidable as a predator since its spikes skewer anything that attacks its back._

Three hours passed without any creature attacks. But now, it was the time of the parasites.

Little black bugs called Asnerics were spreading across the herd, introduced by roaming purple pikmin that were infested with them. The poor Caydas were clearly irritated, trying to brush the parasites off. They spread from Cayda to Cayda, but many remained unaffected, as they outnumbered the little pests. It didn't matter much anyway- they soon crossed a shallow stream and most of the Asnerics drowned. Leaves crunched as they crossed the bank into a continous pathway. But alas, a familiar fly with a red head, purple rear and black thorax appeared and landed on a Cayda. Eggs followed and the insect known as the Carver Fly left.

The eggs soon hatched and the larvae bored into the host. Less than a minute later, it was dead, and the larger larvae scattered to different hosts. The ones with more than one parasite died first while the ones with only one died much, much slower. The whole process ended in fifteen minutes when all of them burrowed to cocoon. But many still remained... again.

The final threat that I witnessed for the day was a Sugarfly. It didn't take anymore lives than a few Caydas that were lured and got stuck to it, though. A nice snack.

_Sugarflies are breadbug relatives that are smaller and have wings. They drink nectar and berry juices that are processed into sticky coats, the color of which is determined by the substance. This attracts prey, which is trapped and eaten._

I managed to catch up with them again after sleeping, only to see a total feeding frenzy! Predators everywhere were enjoying the easy banquet. Shearwigs were picking them off one by one, Hovering Flutterflies (a sort of green dragonfly with feeding habits that implement the swooping snitchbug's swooping habits) were whisking them into the air and eating them alive, Frostbugs were freezing them by spraying freezing chemicals and claiming the spoils, and a Red Bulborb stomped around, munching them down. It was nature at both its best and it worst. Plants rustled as they scattered and predators chased. Soon, they were all either gone or dead.

Shockingly... even this assualt wasn't enough to put more than a small dent into the group population.

I got a report telling me that we were nearing the destination. But one final trial awaited. And frankly, it was a pretty frightening one.

I'm not sure how much time passed, but without warning, a Flying Snagret, light blue with white wings and no feet, bursted out of the ground and started catching and eating them on the fly. Seconds latter, a freakishly large mandiblard emerged to attack the already scattering group with its jaws. It was green, fat, a little elongated and legless. It was.. the Armored Gnashapillar.

It was like watching a scene out of a horror movie. Parts flew everywhere as the insects fled for the lives, others being immobalized due to injury. Others were sent flying by the two great beasts. There was a lot of noise.

After awhile the last of them were crossing and were picked off by the two beasts, some getting past. Then, as quickly as they appeared, they returned to the ground.

Right past the underground lairs, there was a cliff, and they were all molting. They emerged from their former exoskeletons, and it was amazing...

They were now a sheen of red and orange, and had complete wings. They gave out songs as they flew off the cliff and formed a swarm above the drop below, mating on the fly. The ones that i'm sure were females all flew back in the direction the herd came from. After awhile, the activity eventually stopped, and the remaining ones that I think were male stopped flapping their wings and fell into oblivion.

One heck of a drive.

_The Whiskerling is related to the Lougomorph, but with longer whiskers and is brown. This species has carnivorous habits, but only pikmin related._

**Volatile Blowhog, Spiked Bulborb and Tree Wollywog by rmctagg09.**

**Asneric by Dspr.**

**Sneaking Magod, Mandaga, Fatal Blackout Bug and Hovering Flutterfly by hinsburg(I got permission this time).**

**Armored Gnashapillar by Thumbs.**

**Whiskerling by... I forgot who made it. It goes back to Thumbs's 300 reply post at GT.**

**Sugarfly by Lupindorf.**

**Phants by Wateryoshi**

**Any idea that isn't one of the above is original.**

**Other ideas were planned, but omitted, such as Dspr's Armored Tank Lizard.**


	16. Pikmin Species and Subspecies

**I'm not sure why, but I had more fun writing the Tundra Section than any other section in PWS. It's also the section that holds the chapter that is, indeed, responsible for the submission trend that PWS is famous for. I'll let you know when we get there.**

**(The text size for the first paragraph is unnaturally large. I'm hoping it'll correct its own error upon post...)**

**And yet again, credits are at the bottom.**

**PART 5: THE HILLS AND TUNDRA**

It didn't take very long for me to choose the Tundra. Not only had most of the snow melted, making it easier to navigate, but I had received a report from one of my comrades that the area was supporting many stray pikmin. So I opened my navigation system, set course for the desired location, and slowly drifted into a nap. The last thing I remember seeing was a flock of Unmarked Spectalids.

By the time I woke up, I was already there. I have listed all of the pikmin-related incidents here, so please go through them as though you were actually there... if you will.

--

A group of Venus Pikmin, at least eight, were resting on the side of a hill. Their black bodies and venus fly traps lay softly on the ground, and they seemed to be tired (which is odd, since pikmin have been observed working non-stop all day). They had just come out of a battle with many marauding Peach Pikmin. They had ambushed the Peaches, so the victims had no choice but to fight back. There were originally around fifty venus pikmin, but the battle grew so intense that many of them were killed and their onion was destroyed. And to top it off, quite a few Peach Pikmin escaped.

_Venus Pikmin usually prey on other pikmin via their venus fly traps. Not to be confused with black pikmin, they are the only pikmin with multiple and destroyable onions. Because of this, many black pikmin groups establish their own territory. A noticeable property of their onions is that they have red markings instead of white, as well as sharp, blood-red leaves instead of petals. _

On the open area below them lay a glob of nectar. This eventually attracted a lone Toadmin; the Puffstool that it was following now (probably) dead. Toadmin don't tend to be as nearly as menacing without a Puffstool influencing them.

Eventually, the Toadmin made it all the way to the nectar and started sipping it. That was a grave mistake. One that it wouldn't make again regardless.

Out of all the pikmin species, Toadmin display the biggest threat to Venus Pikmin. So when they catch Toadmin on their turf, the Toadmin's days are almost definitely numbered.

Obviously noticing the Toadmin's presence, the Venus pikmin all stood up. Soon after, they came running down the hill. The Toadmin's stem stiffened as it stood straight up; eyes gazing upon the pack that was running at it. Clearly overpowered, and with no Puffstool to influence its actions, the Toadmin simply ran. It was a long chase, and soon the Venus Pikmin pack were right behind the Toadmin. And as predicted, the Venus that was closest to it delivered a bite. The Toadmin let out a chirp as it tumbled into the thin layer of snow. Soon all of the Venus Pikmin were upon it, and they showed no mercy. The Toadmin furiously writhed and spasmed, and it soon lay dead at the jaws of its menacing relatives.

--

The dangerous Pikpiks are a subspecies of pikmin. And, like Venus Pikmin, they prey on... pikmin. However, none of the Pikpiks have onions. They are about twice as as large as regular pikmin, and are grey with black spots. Each possesses a white bud with no cracks on it.

A group of Pikpiks lay underground in a clearing on the forest floor. A few patches of snow sorrounded the place. They were waiting for their next victims. But it's always a matter of who shows up, and when.

A group of stray reds walked by, completely unsuspecting. When they got too close, the Pikpiks ripped right out of the ground and attacked the reds. The Pikpiks outnumbered their prey, but the battle was still fierce and a few Pikpiks were killed. However, they came out victorious and fed on the spoils before reburying themselves. The dead pikpiks were dragged away by Vanilla Breadbugs. (Not the same as Common Breadbugs anymore- to be explained)

This is generally how Pikpiks hunt, but they do chose the wrong targets sometimes. When I ventured into an underground cave that was inhabited by a puffstool and its toadmin, they walked into a group of buried Pikpiks and were sprang upon, but the Pikpiks were no match for the menacing Toadmin.

--

A small colony of red, blue and yellow pikmin rested in an area below the trees at twilight. There was a light snowfall. The pikmin explored the area, foraging for food, with mixed results. Soon, a presence caused them all to shoot up their stems in alarm.

Thundering footsteps shook the ground, prompting most of the pikmin to run and the rest to stand with all eyes in the direction of the sounds. Not much longer after, a Hairy Bulborb dashed into view and attacked the group. They pikmin all fled, and a few straggling leaflings tripped and were eaten by the beast.

They inadvertly headed into a group of snow bulborbs, some individuals of which latched out and seized pikmin, swallowing the squirming prey. This caused the group to scatter in all directions, filling in any hiding space that could be found. Some brave or foolish ones chose to fight, and soon the hairy bulborb appeared. In the end, several pikmin had been eaten and two dwarfs out of ten lay dead. Others were carried away by a passing Snitchbug.

--

I didn't see this until deep into my stay at the Tundra, but I figured I'd describe the scene right here.

A strong wind blew across the area as temperatures dropped below freezing. Only Cyan (or Azure) pikmin and their onion were out foraging for food. Any other stray pikmin were either forced to flee to a warm hiding place or simply died in the cold.

The Cyan pikmin frollicked around in the blistering wind, cutting down pellet posies and hauling them back to their onion; their ice-white foot impressions blending in with the deep snow. High ho, a group of them had fallen a snow bulborb and triumphantly carried it back to their onion to produce seeds. A few of them manged to harvest some nectar from a plant and they drank, causing beautiful flowers to form.

The snow, freezing cold, and chilling winds had driven away all the other pikmin, but the cyan pikmin seemed perfectly at home in the cold. Sometimes, one can see a Cyan pikmin exhale a cold puff of mist.

**Venus Pikmin by Thumbs.**


	17. Ice Wollamander and Fiery Bulblax

**You guys are all looking at the very first submissions, request chapter for PWS. I made it solely to include other ideas at the time(as well as include normal enemies that people wanted to see), and it's what is, indeed, responsible for the whole "3rd party" trend. Credits andacknowledgements are at the bottom.**

The sun rose for another day in the Tundra. Most of the snow had melted, leaving most of the ground bare. A few plants had appeared too. It was rather warm today, but I knew that the area's weather would eventually go back into a frozen ecosystem.

The Ice Wollamanders were now busy trying to catch their prey. They do their best hunting when the ponds are frozen, breaking through the surface ice when prey wanders over to snare it. But the ponds had melted, so the element of surprise was completely blown out of the water (no pun intended). Many of them crawl under masses of dead wood, plant clusters, or under hooded banks, in order to rest and conserve energy until the ponds freeze again.

__

Ice Wollamanders are rather ridiculous looking relatives of the Wollywog. Resembling some sort of light blue salamander with a slender body, these animals are amphitubers as well..

I couldn't help but get distracted by a few Cannon Beetles across the field. Their larvae had recently hatched, and a few of the adults had begun to regurgitate stones. These were subsequently eaten by the larvae. The reason the do this is that the larvae acquire the "metabacteria" necessary for digesting stones this way, something they are not born with.

Not that much time had passed before every Wollamander had found a hiding spot and comfortably slept. They just weren't very efficient without thin ice, and so the water belonged to the Dumples during these weather conditions.

Dreadnets suddenly flew overhead (all males), and I didn't realize until a few minutes later that a Swooping Snitchbug was their query. What surprises me is that they can launch their stingers, which is what they did to take down the Snitchbug. And there always seems to be another stinger ready for launch... but what surprises me even more is that Dreadnets are vegetarians. Only the larvae eat meat, which is what the Dreadnets carried the pieces of dead prey to. I followed them all the way back to a nest containing the larvae and a Queen Dreadnet. The queens are generally the same as soldiers, but they aren't part of a matriarch. Just a case of more "common" sexual dimorphism. Females tend to be bigger and stronger, and sometimes have larvae on them.

The sun was already approaching the horizon, and the day felt... very short. The last things I saw before nightfall were a few Breadbugs and Vanilla Breadbugs scampering between the trees in the small forest.

__

The Vanilla Breadbug is a smaller relative of the Breadbug. This creature is Vanilla white and, like its cousin, non aggressive. Vanilla Breadbugs tend to be a bit more selective than regular Breadbugs; they like to eat berries and small animals instead of large ones due to possessing less strength, though they are faster. And, unlike Breadbugs and Giant Breadbugs, this species will often settle on dying animals rather than dead ones. Although the term Vanilla Breadbug was often applied to the common species, it was ported to the white variety because they were deemed far more deserving of the titles.

Soon, it began to drizzle.

It was night after what seemed like a few minutes for me, and I decided to float around for a little while. What I saw next really caught my eye!

Two Fiery Bulblaxes, possibly a mated pair, were going straight after a small group of Gushworms. And one of them was an albino! Never before have I seen an Albino Bulblax, or any albino Grub-Dog for that matter. It didn't seem much different from the regular Fiery Bulblax except for the color, but it was still a magnificent sight.

The Gushworms fled, but the less healthy ones lagged behind and were caught, as well as eaten by the two predators. Of course it was still drizzling, so their flames were not present, almost making them look like a different species.

_The Pecky Howler is a white, dove like bird that usually flies around. However, during breeding season it plants itself in the snow. It is distinguished by its howl-like calls, and often preys on small animals that get too near, like pikmin._

_The Puffy Blowhog is well known for floating and electrically-glowing at the same time. The flying swine blows leaves around in order to eat insects underneath. This might be why they sometimes assualt pikmin unprovoked; all those leaf-heads from a bird's eye view..._

**_CREDITS_**

**Bulbmin Overlord of GT for the Dreadnets and Queen Dreadnets.**

**Anode (formerly of GT) for the Pecky Howler.**

**_Acknowledgements_**

**V Rex requested the Albino Bulblax at the time of the pre-GameTalk posting. At the time, he was disguised as "Albino Bulblax".**

**Supernatural of GT requested the Puffy Blowhog.**

**I can't remember who requested the Armored Cannon Beetle. It was probably Guffawer, but it may have been Thumbs.**


	18. Floaty Squirm and PorkyPrick Beast

**This is the first chapter where people (well, technically person) actually _demanded_ to have their ideas included. This led to me only using "3rd party" ideas for this chapter. And so, the boat that had been built by the last chapter had been set off by this one.**

**Yes, I know there are not supposed to be trees in tundras. The area of the Tundra he's in whenever trees are mentioned is a sort of borderline. You'll know when he's away from it.**

Over the course of the week, the calm landscape had gradually changed to its unforgiving "true" identity. It started with a light snowfall, which gre heavy. Icy winds blew over everything, and soon, almost everything was blanketed in snow. The temperature dropped considerably and pond surfaces began to freeze. Last night, a terrible blizzard tormented the ecosytem. And today, only a light front of icy wind cruised across the area, with only a few traces of snow riding it. The temperature was still below freezing though, and the slowly growing windstorm made it a bit difficult to see.

Many creatures were forced underground, into nests, or any other warm shelter they could find. Anything that could not escape the seemingly predatory weather simply froze to death. Common Breadbugs and Vanilla Breadbugs, some of the few animals able to survive the icy biome at its worst, benifited greatly from the numerous life forms that died in the adverse weather. Vanilla breadbugs in particular, whose white color allowed them to blend in with the heavy snow and winds, often stole carcasses right under predators' noses or simply dragged away victims of the cold that were dying, but still alive.

They weren't alone. Pecky Howlers, with their eye-catching brown wing feathers and pure white bodies, had firmly planted themselves in the snow. Many of them were sitting on eggs. They were taking full advantage of the lack of threats during this weather. Adults are a little ways smaller than adult bulborbs.

Hairy Bulborbs, being able to resist the cold for obvious reasons, still hunted at night. The Fiery Bulblax did the same for reasons that are still apparent. Azure/Cyan Pikmin still foraged in the snow, and the Ice Wollamanders hid under the frozen surfaces for an ambush. There were also small pods of fiery and icy blowhogs. Snagrets would still emerge, but only just long enough to make an attempt at prey.

_Frosty Ursadaes are white predators that, eerily, match the size and appearance of the Fossilized Ursadae statue. They efficiently prey on smaller animals, but many pieces of their kills are stolen by Vanilla Breadbugs whenever they aren't paying attention. I hardly ever saw this species; perhaps they're going extinct?_

One very notable species is the PorkyPrick Beast. I couldn't help but giggle the first time I saw this ridiculous looking animal! Its back and a few areas on its main body had spines on them, as well as fur to fill in the other places. The fur was brown and the spines were light brown. It didn't have much (long) fur, but still fared well against the cold. The beast has pinkish-brown skin, and it has a head resembling that of a slender porcupine with a piggish-snout(but not a pig nose).

The bulborb-sized beast is an omnivore, devouring small insectoids and eating various herbs. Under assualt, this creature is known to fling its spines. They don't seem to "complain" much about the resident bulborb population; the two can even be seen feeding on Pellet Posie fields together.

A creature that had a completely different form of locomotion was the Floaty Squirm. This creature can be described as a bunch of brown hair in the shape of a worm. And it (oddly) flies by shifting the positions of this fur! They mainly eat bitter berries to mantain a healthy brown, but adverse changes in their diet can cause various color mutations, including gold.

_The Floaty Squirm is a rather bizzare beast with an equally bizzare way of flight. It uses its weird appearance to discourage Snagrets and Pecky Howlers, a.k.a. its natural predators. This doesn't always work. There was an incident where a Burrowing Snagret yanked a Floaty Squirm out of the air and punctured it, causing it to deflate a little and become an easy rip-up for the Snagret._

I witnessed one hunt actual live prey many times that day. When a troop of cyan pikmin ran under a specimen, the creature dropped the the ground and extended its fur to form spines, impaling and killing some of the cyans. It then used its stretchy worm-like figure to reach and devour the dead prey, and any body parts that was stuck to it.

**El PorkyPrick Beast es de Thumbs. He didn't request it; it was a surprise since it was a (almost) forgotten idea he made long before the original posting of this.**

**Floaty Squirms are creations of Lupindorf from GT.**

**Frosty Ursidaes were (probably) made from the long-absent Anode, who used to go to GT. Pecky Howlers, too.**


	19. Candypop Bud

**I got an idea for Tales of the Wilderness. I might update that one next.**

Despite the fact that it appears to have a symbiotic relationship with pikmin (The flower might absorb nutrients from the pikmin, perhaps causing it to revert back to seed form, but the pikmin is transformed into a different color), the Candypop Bud can mean certain death to the other small fauna.

_The reason it took scientists so long to realize that the Candypop Bud can actually function as a predator is probably due to the fact that people were constantly debating over the Bud's relation to pikmin. While most scientists initially agreed that the plant has nothing more than gene altering capabilities and itsn't related to the pikmin, Olimar proposed the theory that a species that has such control over a pikmin's species depending on the color of the leaves can't realistically be a non-relative, and that it may even be part of a life cycle. Scientists have even taken the Queen Candypop bud as proof that the flowers can literally birth them. But as science goes, a counter to this was brought up, stating that a creature that can birth pikmin shouldn't need a specimen just to accomplish this. This also doesn't explain why the Queen is the only species that can accomplish such a feat._

Quite some time had passed since my last entry. The temperature had changed again and none of the ponds were frozen anymore. A lot of bare ground was visible, but there were still patches of snow. There was also some snow in the trees. A light snowfall occurred that morning, but that was it.

I really wanted to explore an underground cave I had found, but there was a problem. My Anti Gravity Cone was too large to fit inside. I sent a transmission tothe expedition control base to see if there was a way to solve this. A short while later, they sent me to the instructions on how to activate something that I didn't even know about.

I entered in the various codes they gave me into the Cone, and then the gears started shifting and a virtual screen appeared in front of me. I touched it to confirm my request. Suddenly, a few machines activated and a silver control pad appeared in front of my seat. One of the cone's compartments then opened (I didn't see this, I was told that's how it happens) and launched a worm-like flying device with a camera lense at its "head". It also included spiky ridge running down its "back". This was the video-audio pod, or the VA pod.

After I checked all systems and learned how to control it, I activated the shared viewing. I could now see everything the pod could see. So I switched it to underground exploration mode, drove it to the hole, and sent it inside. This is everything "we" saw:

When the pod got near to the ground, it stopped. I drove it around for a little while. There was a small layer of snow on this area of the sublevel. Scans confirmed that this was also the only sublevel. A few Snow Bulborbs were down here. This was nothing special, so I kept flying it around until I found a place where the snow had melted and there was another hole (in the ceiling), letting light in. There were a few plants growing around, and a Beeping Bahool flew across the sunlight and into the darkness further in the sublevel. There was also a pair of Violet Candypop buds. That was the part when something strange happened.

_The Freezing Cannon Beetle is a Cannon Beetle variant that is smaller than its cousin, but has a brilliant sapphire shell. It likes to feed on frozen stones and ice particles, and shoots rigid balls of ice as an offense. These are known to not only crush queries, but also freeze them even when indirect contact is made. _

I'm not sure what drew it in, but a young Frost Dweevil crept out in the open and headed straight for the Violet Candypop bud. At first it tried to force it onto its back, but the flower stayed firmly attached to the ground. Then, without hesitation, the creature marched straight on top of it.

The flower's touch receptors activated the petals snapped shut. The dweevil let out a pitiful succession of beeps as it was trapped in the flower's "maw". Sometime later, the flower re-opened and there was nothing left. The insect had been digested.

I decided to end it there and drove the pod out of the hole and back to me. It replated itself back in the cone and all pod systems shut down. The control pad retracted back into the operating desk.

_The Man-at-Legs is a strange arachnorb-robot hybrid. This creature is actually born without any machine parts, which just leaves it with a marble-orange body and thin, black legs, but at some stage in life cycle, the machine parts appear. Nobody knows how. _

Back above ground, I witnessed yet another surprise attack. It was an Icy Blowhog, which had been separated from the pod of Fiery, Watery, Poisonous, Acidic and other Icy Blowhogs. The creature speedily trudged across a field of snow, unknowingly wandering into danger.

Suddenly, a dark blue worm with horizontaly opening jaws and tiny sharp teeth, known as an Ice Segnellid, sprang out of the ground and seized the blowhog in the side! Unfortunately for the predator, this was a classic case of choosing the wrong target. The Blowhog was much to large for a sheargrub thick worm to tackle, and the enraged animal soon bucked the slithering predator right out of its jaw grip and unleashed and icy wind. The creature was frozen right where it was and the triumphant blowhog made an easy escape. Freezing won't kill Ice Segnellids, but it prohibits them from making any progress what-so-ever.

The time for my departure from the Tundra was nearing, but there were still a few more things I had to explore before heading to a new region.

**Guffawer made the Freezing Cannon Beetle.**

**I made everything else.**


	20. Tundra Roamer and Chocolate Breadbug

**Time to get PWS back on track! I fixed the problem, and I'm on spring break, so expect frequent updates. Also, we'll probably never see GT again, so I'm going to quit waiting and just finish the series right here without waiting. GT version equals dead**

**Oh yeah, and the next chapter is a bonus, so please visit the PWS forum if you want to submit ides.**

A tired sun drifted above the horizon, marking the start of my final day here. There was little snow on the ground; the unpredictable weather shifted again.

A new creature that I discovered on this warm day was the Tundra roamer. It lives in the denser areas of the plant "flocks". This herbivore uses its pointy snout to pierce the snow and feed on the succulent plants below (explorers consider them pests since said plants are useful for pikmin breeding when white pikmin are around). However, all the snow had melted at the time so I did not see this in action (at least not the part where the snow is penetrated).

_Tundra Roamers are incredibly difficult to describe. They are green skinned, are bipeds, have long legs and flat feet, their main body is shaped like a sideways oval, have a needle-like mouth that starts out thick but points at the tip, and have a pair of limp extensions from their heads that are not unlike the tail of a dinosaur. Their eyes are red and on the sides of their heads. The closest creature I can imagine to a tundra roamer is a two legged mosquito, and not even that is very close. Being only the height of a cannon beetle larva, and having a habit of splitting during feeding, they have many predators. This includes Hairy Bublorbs, FlyTrap Pikmin, Forsty Ursidaes, and more._

_The reproductive system concerning red bulborbs and empress bulblaxes is highly debated. Many scientists argue that the most dominant red bulborb female in any given radius will devolop an enlarged egg sac and produce bulborb larvae non-stop, which mature into red bulborbs. This theory would explain why the species is so common yet never seems to decline during times of hardship. There was once a common misconception stating that red bulborbs reproduce like most mammals do, while the empress is the female variant of the emperor bulblax. Red bulborbs can sexually reproduce, but the part about the emperor has been proven false._

Something rather odd happened while I was observing a Tundra Roamer. While the specimen was feeding on a sprout in the ground, a Frosty Ursidae lashed out from behind a boulder. The prey reacted, but the predator was already too close and it basically ran the herbivore over. The ursidae subsenquently killed it without much trouble, but after that it just walked away without even taking a bite of the corpse! Perhaps that Ursidae was a mother, and the Roamer had strayed too far into its territory? Anyway, the senselessly killed animal attracted a noticable scavenger, the Chocolate Breadbug. The chocolate brown forager is more active and has a much tougher hide than the other breadbugs, so this creature can be found even in horrible weather where it can easily face strong blizzards to feed on dead or dying stragglers. The Chocolate Breadbug dragged its food for a considerable distance before it made it to its nest, and stored it underground. Soon after, the creature re-emerged and went straight back on the hunt. As with all breadbug species save for Strawberry Breadbugs, the predators of the region hardly ever bother to attack it due to its potent defense. Needless to say, breadbugs are responsible for more that half of the stolen kills in the Tundra.

_All dwarf bulborbs had a common ancestor, a type of breadbug. I wonder what it was like? I could only speculate that it was still aggressive back then and lacked a thick hide to defend against grub-dogs, stimulating the mimicry. To this day, no one knows the exact appearance of their common ancestor, but the answer may come with a few DNA testings._

**Pikimon made the Chocolate Breadbug and Anode made the Ursidae, which I think I mentioned before. Yes, I know this chapter is a bit... lackluster.**


	21. BONUS: Towards the Forest Pt 1

**There were a few complaints that a nice bunch of my creatures are too close to their real world counterparts, so I decided to make a fresh slew of enemies. This might be because I'm thinking more "realistic", instead, "something that would fit in a game." I hope these are pikminy enough...**

**Unlike the last two bonuses, this one is all me. No fan submissions. There's going to be another bonus directly after this one, though.**

**This is part one of a small story. Part two is next chapter, which holds a big surprise...**

I wasn't sure what made today such an ideal time for large numbers of organisms to appear. The weather was cool, with a fraction of the sun's powerful rays being cut off by a thin cloud barrier. There was a blanket of snow, but judging by the impressions left in the ground by Fiery Bulblaxes, it was only about as deep as a captain was tall.

But the circle of life was in full swing today for some obscure reason.

_Pellet Posies sit at the very bottom of the food chain; almost everything eats them, even major predators. Different animals topple them in different ways to secure the rich pellet; pikmin strike at its steam until it breaks, and Bulborbs simply rip the pellet from the flower. One species in particular, the Fuzzipillar, feeds voraciously on the plants by chewing through stem after stem and consuming pellet after pellet. It is often considered a pest, and the fact that its fuzz helps it blend with snow doesn't help; it masks the animal so well that it's impossible to tell which side's the head unless it's moving._

A cloud of peculiar organisms was drifting in the air, not very far from my position. They looked like... well, blue balloons, only more round with four smooth tentacles towards the bottom. They had no obvious eyes, mouth or ears. What the heck were these strange animals? Were they even animals...?

Whatever they were, they were on course for a group of red pikmin. I had seen them before; they were using their leaves to shovel the snow, trying to get at a sprout. I don't think I would've ever been able to guess what was going to happen next... They passed over the pikmin little by little. The two species took no apparent notice of each other, but one of the floaters stopped. A single tentacle stretched down, not quickly, but not particularly slow either. It reached the bottom and snagged a single red pikmin by its stem; it squirmed, but for whatever reason, the others didn't even move and stayed on task. The tentacle lifted the catch to an unseen mouth cavity, which engulfed the pikmin.

What was once a blue creature turned a bright red in a moment.

It didn't stop there. As if one mind, some of the others homed in on the newly red floater. They each latched one tentacle onto its main body. Some unseen substance pumped through the tubelike appendages, and in just seconds, the surrounding floaters were red to. When the process ended, they all drifted away.

My databank search for a balloon-like animal that changed colors wielded no results. Was this a new species...?

After I reported my discovery, I stumbled upon more and more creatures as the day went on.

_Blue Wollywogs are an extremely odd species. They attack smaller animals by attempting to crush them, like other Wollywogs (they're territorial). However, when this species hits the ground, it releases a 360 degree wave of water! It's only safe for explorers to catch them with blue pikmin due to this. It doesn't stop there. Whenever this species is in the present of cold, even if it's a mere pile of snow, it releases a circular wave of freezing vapor! It's a good idea to keep both blue and cyan pikmin ready in places where this species thrives. **(****This has probably already been thought of, but I tried...)**_

Let's take the Hypnotic Tuberat for instance. I saw several of specimens hunting in the snow today. They look like small weasels, but with pointed ears and jointless, toeless legs, pure black eyes, and no visible nose. And two threadlike tails. They hopped swiftly through the snow with ease, almost like the way a stone leaps across a lake (but with smaller leaps). Being a small species, only slightly higher than a captain, I saw one of these hunting a young Snagret that had inquisitively popped out of the ground. For something so harmless looking, Tuberats are surprisingly competent when it comes to seemingly impossible prey like the quick tunneling Snagret. But by the looks of things, anything was possible. When it got close enough, the Tuberat did an odd dance. It jumped while flailing its flexible structure, and... that was it. But whatever it was that did it, the Snagret was transfixed.

The Tuberat jumped forward and bit into the Snagret's scaled body.

However, this didn't end in success like you were probably lead to believe. The Snagret's scales are heavily effective as a form of protection. The Tuberat should've aimed for the head. Not only did the Snagret escape, but it also have the Tuberat something to remember before it did. Ouch!

_Tuberats are considered a huge nuisance. Their dances can make a pikmin stop whatever it may be doing, and the captain can only break them out of the chance by blowing his whistle, assuming he's quick enough._

I looked ahead and saw an area more forest-y nearby, as opposed to the desolate wasteland I was in. I decided to move closer to it...

_Strolling Stilters are considered reminiscent of Pikmin and Onions. The mother's body is almost as big as an onion, but it isn't nearly as tall. Its body resembles a very slightly crushed, lumpy ball, that's a shade of fleshy grey with some purple marks. It has three black eyes and two small fangs which don't seem to have any obvious use. It is supported by ten legs, which it easily navigates with on both ground and deep snow with light steps. Finally, it has a feather shaped protrusion on the very top of its body. The adult is a harmless herbivore, but its young (which it is known to actively birth) are very aggressive and dangerous. They are small, perfectly round and brown, but the same in appearance otherwise. They voraciously attack and eat pikmin and quickly, and though they can only consume one at a time, they can become troublesome when built up. When left alone, they flock to and protect the parent. It is recommended that the young are kept at bay and attacks are focused on the parent._

**Sorry about how short it was, but the next one will be awesome, I promise.**


	22. BONUS: Towards the Forest Pt 2

**Pikmin World Safari is back!**

**I'd like to start off with two announcements. The first one is that I will no longer be accepting submissions... _for the most part_. The reason is that I feel as though I'm relying too much on other people's ideas. However, the submissions _did _contribute to the story's popularity, so I'll still allow them for bonus chapters (except this one, which already had the story planned out for it).**

**The second announcement is that the whole fic will be receiving a makeover. My self-standards have risen quite a bit since before, and I found myself dissatisfied with many of the chapters. So I'll be rewriting almost all of them. The rewritten versions of the first four chapters can already be found on DeviantART, and soon enough, I'll be doing the same for the version. **

**Now, on with the show! This one features some special guest stars- the cyan pikmin from "Spored", written by none other than V Rex! But to prevent confusion with my own cyan pikmin, they've had a minor name change.**

**Towards the Forest Part Two**

Throughout the remainder of my time in the tundra-forest border, I encountered another... interesting species. But out of every animal I've found on my expedition, this is the only one I have a small dislike for.

They're known as the "Whip-Stemmed Pikmin". They are often confused for cyan pikmin due to their coloration, but the differences are the slightly darker shade, the deep blue bud/flower, and of course the droopy whip-like stems. They use their clawed hands to climb trees, in a similar way orange pikmin use their claw-like fingers. It's also interesting to note that both whip-stems and cyans can survive freezing temperatures. But while the cyans contain an anti-freeze, the whip-stems are still forced to shut down and freeze solid until conditions improve.

They aren't an ally to other pikmin species nor to any explorer. In fact, they attack other pikmin with carnivorous intent reminiscent of pikpiks; only, the whip-stems are more lethally efficient. I don't have an issue with carnivores, but it's the reality that surrounds their feeding habits that bothers me.

First of all, whip-stems never actually kill their prey before eating it. Pikmin often die in attacks, but survivors are dragged away and tied to tiny trees with vines. The pikmin are often left to sit there for days on end until one or two of them is cut free...

Forced into an open area...

Circled menacingly by the whip stems...

And eaten alive right on stop. And most of the time, there's not much left but a pool of blood.

The issue is that, in isolated populations of whip-stems, this behavior is not observed. They usually don't show more than indifference to other pikmin species, and (like the main population) use their long stems to gracefully wrap-and-snap pellet posie stems to feed on the pellets.

The whip-stems preying on other pikmin isn't an instinct. It's a learned habit, and it's not necessary to their survival either.

_Unlike most other pikmin, whip-stems are known for using objects as weapons. Throughout my stay, pack of individuals frequently threw stones at my anti-gravity cone from the trees._

I only witnessed them actually hunting twice. The first time, they were stalking a group of six purple pikmin, a red pikmin and a blue pikmin. They were in a clearing, trying to gather nectar from some grass blades. The attack started when whip-stems from above started hurling rocks as a method to disperse their prey. The pikmin did scatter, and an assault team of around ten charged in and attacked directly with both their claws and their long-range stems.

The ambush was a complete disaster. While the red pikmin did die in the scuffle, the burly purples easily overpowered their foes. Claws and whips were simply no match for the glancing blows- and overall endurance- of the larger species. At one point, the blue actually grabbed a purple and threw it in the air. It traveled a brief distance before landing on a whip-stem, utterly crushing it into the thin snow. Without even a twitch. But unlike the pikmin types that explorers are accustomed to working with, whip-stems don't stick around for a losing battle, so only half of them were killed. I was told later on that purple pikmin aren't normally encountered in these parts, so the whip-stems didn't know what they were up against.

A lack of experience is probably also responsible for what happened the second time. Only, this incident resulted in some ironic justice. It's simple. A single white pikmin was scurrying through the forest. In mid run, it was cut off by a stone landing in front of it. Seconds later, it was surrounded and overwhelmed by whip-stems. I watched as they dragged back the still-struggling white to their nest and decided to follow them.

The white was tied to a small tree at their nesting area, but granted that there were very few others being "held prisoner", and a cold night was approaching, they didn't wait long for their feast. Three of them used their claws to cut the vines binding the white, shoved it into a suitable spot, and started ravenously devouring it while their comrades watched.

Let's just say that they were in for a bit of a surprise...

But in spite of their savage nature, whip-stems are arguably the most advanced of pikmin. Towards the end of my trip, I witnessed one of them doing something unusual. With a jagged rock in hand, it repeatedly struck the edge a stick, sharpening it into what resembled a spear...

**Whip-Stems are once again owned by V Rex, and can be found in his story, "Spored." Fans should know that I changed a few things about them.**


	23. Slimy Mawfish and Armorhead Tunnelmite

**It's been a while since I updated this, hasn't it? For anyone who cares, I've rewritten chapter 1-14 to make them better. I don't know if I'll be rewriting the rest of the "old" chapters, but I think they're pretty decent, so I'll leave them be for now. **

**PART 6: THE ANCIENT SEWERS **

As I traveled away from the tundra, I came across an odd structure in the ground. It was metallic, and had various openings that led into a seemingly bottomless pit. It was almost like a cage. I contacted mission control to report my find.

I was informed that these structures could be found all over the planet and apparently led to a system of underground tunnels, but since they were so dark and vast, they hadn't been explored very much. This ignited my curiosity, but alas, our spelunking privileges were heavily limited. I couldn't pass up the discoveries that surely awaited me down there, though, so I requested an alternative.

It took some convincing, but mission control reluctantly agreed to let me try out a prototype they had been working on. It was a floating, rod-shaped exploration pod with a single camera, one that was small enough to navigate even narrow passages with little trouble. In exchange, they wanted a review of the device's performance, something I didn't object to at all. The pod arrived within twenty minutes, and I was able to connect to it using my digital interface. As soon as I got the controls figured out, I steered it through the grates.

At the bottom of the pit was a thin layer of dirt, patches of moss and some flowers. Beams of light bled through, leaving a shadow shaped like the cage structure. Curiously, some Unmarked Spectralids were flying about down here, but they didn't hold my interest for long. The only way to go was either left or right, so I chose right and drove the pod into the darkness. Strangely, I was glad it was the pod down there and not me...

The passage lead to a maze of what appeared to be large, worn down pipes with extremely shallow water running through. Several Dweevils frantically scurried out of the way, but they were the only fauna to be seen. One of the pipes lead to a sheer drop, which in turn lead to a downward slope, complete with water trickling down. At the bottom was a portion of deep water that contained Wogpoles, presumably those of subterranean Wollywogs. So far, all I had seen was more of the same, so I had to press on further.

The waterway ended at yet another pipe that seemed to be receiving all the water. Thankfully, the pod was waterproof, so I directed it inside. The pipe pointed downward at a ninety degree angle and ended midair, giving it the appearance of a leaky faucet. The water fell into a vast reservoir. The sight of this underground lake was quite pleasing.

My heart skipped a beat when something jumped out of the water and collided with the pod. Thankfully, the pod's shielding was enough to prevent any damage and the creature swam away, evidently realizing it had underestimated its prey. I didn't get a good look at it the first time, so I replayed the pod's footage in slow motion.

The creature appeared to be some sort of fish, akin to a snakehead fish, but its fins were large and shaped more like flippers, and it had nothing more than wrinkled dents where its eyes should've been (which lead me to wonder how it was able to perceive my floating pod). And its teeth... I hadn't seen a sharper set of teeth on any of the native animal species before then. It was a wonder it was unable to crush the pod in its jaws outright! I'd have to be wary of the waterways from this point on...

_The Slimy Mawfish is a species well adapted to the underground tunnels and pipelines. It uses its large jaws to engulf prey, and its large fins can be used for land travel, allowing it to pull off ambushes that would be impossible for other fish species. Its scales are coated in mucus that makes it difficult for smaller creatures to get a grip on it. It still isn't clear how it perceives its surroundings._

Once I was finished, I tried to press on through a nearby pipe... only to discover that it was blocked off by yet another strange creature. All I could see was its brown head, which was eyeless and adorned with long antennae and large pincers. I didn't want to provoke another attack on the pod, so after observing it for a bit, I took a snapshot of the creature and searched for another exit. This was going to be an interesting journey...

_The Armorhead Tunnelmite is an insect that makes its home inside narrow pipes. Its large and fully armored wood-brown head always faces outward to prevent other creatures from entering its lair, though other entrances to the pipe can be used if available. Frontal attacks against its head are completely useless, but its white, almost translucent body is vulnerable to attack. It uses its pincers to bite at larger attackers and fling away smaller attackers. It feeds on moss and scum that grows near its lair._


	24. Scuttler and Hexapod

**For this chapter, please keep in mind that an Armored Nut is an acorn...**

I continued my exploration of the metallic, underground tunnels with the probe. At this point, it had reached a pool a water, and in the center were the submerged remains of a pipe. The pipe's "roof" was partially missing, so I could see what appeared to be a lump on the inside. There was very little natural light in the "room", so, presuming it to be an animal, I steered the probe in closer to get a better look.

What I thought was one specimen broke apart into about a dozen of them, each one scurrying out of one of the pipe's exits.

I'm not using the word "scurrying" for lack of a better term. They literally scurried through the water like space rats on a delivery ship. The little shrimp-creatures made a rapid scuttling motion with their thin legs to propel themselves out of the pipe. However, one of them emerged more slowly...

_Scuttlers are crustaceous, colonial organisms that inhabit wet caves. They are capable of surviving on land, but prefer to dwell in a body of water. While most eusocial organisms can be described as sterile workers defending and caring for a queen, Scuttlers are an inversion of this. While the bluish-green, semi-transulecent workers do clean the queen, raise the offspring and maintain the nest, they otherwise live as frantic prey creatures, feeding on microorganisms and absconding from danger at a moment's notice. The opaque queen, however, is an aggressive predator. Studies show that most of the queen's victims are known predators of the workers, meaning the workers are born to be nothing more than glorified bait. The workers themselves are slightly smaller than Wogpoles, while the queen can grow to be as large as a Wollywog. A notable difference between the two castes is that the workers have two small pincers and four short antennae, whilst the queen lacks pincers and has only two long antennae._

The workers continued to swim about in a frenzy as the queen boldly hauled her way into plain sight, antennae flailing and forked tail pointed upwards. Even though they had eyes, I couldn't help but wonder if their antennae helped them perceive their surroundings in the dimly lit environment.

Speculation aside, the queen's antennae in particular served a very sinister purpose. An Ambiguous Slimeworm- named so because it's impossible to tell which end is which until it attacks- inched its way into the pool. Much more graceful in water than on land, it pursued a worker Scuttler with flowing, almost streamer-like movements. It was so absorbed in its chase than it neglected to detect the incoming queen. In a swift movement, she lashed out her antennae and used them to bind the now-struggling Slimeworm. Contrary to its name, the Slimeworm couldn't slip out of the queen's grasp and the predator was reduced to prey. I couldn't bear to look as she devoured her meal like oversized spaghetti.

_Ambiguous Slimeworms are leech or worm-like creatures that inhabit dark, moist places. They are pitch black with a purple stripe on either side of their bodies. The species has perfect symmetry, and since they can easily travel either forwards or backwards, it's extremely difficult to tell where the head is until its too late. They've been known to cling to the spacesuits of explorers, causing continuous damage with their teeth, and as an added insult, they're immune to the toxins of White Pikmin._

I decided to wait and see what else would come and take the bait. The workers commuted back and forth from the pond, feeding on the moss that lined the cave. They all retreated to the water when the hollow shell of an Armored Nut dragged itself into view with its green tentacles. Yes, you did read that last sentence correctly.

The nut immersed itself, at which point it used its six tentacles to walk. Once again, the queen closed in for the kill, but the tentacles were quick to withdraw beneath the nut. She grasped the thick shell and pulled, but it wouldn't budge. She nibbled on it afterwards, but it isn't called the Armored Nut for nothing; her little onslaught was entirely fruitless. Soon, she gave up and retired to her den. At that moment, the nut reared up slightly, then launched a tentacle to snag the closest worker. It dragged its prize underneath itself and assumed the same defensive position as before.

As you may have figured out, the Armored Nut wasn't the actual predator. The real culprit was a Hexapod, a slightly round creature that inhabits any natural armor it can find (compare to a hermit crab). They most frequently use nuts and animal shells.

The sun was setting, so I attached the pod to the ceiling of the cave and called it a day.

**Gameplay wise, I imagine the Hexapod's shell would need to be destroyed by Rock Pikmin.**


	25. Amauratic Snorkole and Polywort

As my remote-controlled camera pod floated above an underground waterway, I couldn't help but marvel at the creatures inhabiting it. I never imagined that an underground ecosystem could be so vibrant. Hundreds of tiny little fireflies danced in the air. Wogpoles played in the soft current while the adult Wollywogs sat motionless, their backs barely breaking the water's surface. Portions of the cave were illuminated by Glowcaps and the occasional Lantern Jellyfloat.

_Lantern Jellyfloats are relatively small creatures that, incidentally, are shaped like a round lantern. This subterranean species appears to give off a beautiful, yellow glow, but upon closer inspection, one can see that the glow is actually provided by ingested fireflies. It is believed that the species adapted this behavior in order to attract mates. Since the species preys almost exclusively on fireflies, they are harmless to Pikmin and explorers. However, attacking one isn't advised since their presence helps illuminate dark caverns.  
_

Swimming in the water was an Amaurotic Snorkole, a green mole-like creature named due to its lack of eyes. Its front limbs were adapted to serve as flippers and it apparently used echolocation to find its way around the waterlogged cave, though it still had to surface for air periodically. The specimen continuously happened upon strange aquatic worms and devoured them at an unbelievable pace, reminding me of Bulborb Larva. Occasionally, it would pursue a Wogpole, only to get driven away by furious Wollywogs. A broken back wouldn't do it any good.

It wasn't until the Snorkole was chased away by a Slimy Mawfish that I continued my exploration past the stream. Along the way, I encountered peculiar creatures resembling two-legged mosquitoes. Although they don't have a common name at the time of this writing, they are menacing creatures that sprint around and spear smaller prey like pikmin. They are rarely seen flying, instead using their wings to produce a high-pitched sound that annoys and confuses attackers.

I slowed down the camera when I heard a loud snoring. I assumed it was a some kind of Bulborb, since they're infamous for that, but it turned out to be something completely different. It was quadrupedal, had a rounded body, a huge mouth, and was covered in rough, bumpy brown skin.

Sleeping half-buried in the dirt was a Polywort.

_The Polywort is a toad-like creature that spends much of its life inactive and underground, only emerging during the rainy season. This is perhaps for the best, as this species is extremely dangerous. Instead of using its tongue, the Polywort regurgitates thick, transparent slime all over its prey, which it then sucks back in along with its meal. Even though its capable of hopping, it can also roll with its round body, crushing smaller adversaries under its massive girth (it can only roll in a straight line, however). Its thick, warty hide is impervious to all attacks, the only weak points being the vocal sacks on either side of its face (and even then, attacking them is only possible while they're inflated)._

Curious, I piloted the camera closer to the slumbering behemoth. The light focused on its face, and I observed its coarse features.

Then something went wrong.

The beast's yellowed eyes flashed open and, before I could react, it burst out of the ground, knocking the camera into a nearby wall and killing the light. The screen went fuzzy for a second or two as I frantically tried to steer the pod away, but next thing I knew, the screen was enveloped in a thick slime. It then occurred the me that the camera had been trapped by the Polywort!

Using a string of goo still connected to its mouth, its slurped up the pile of slime, which unfortunately included the pod. The screen went dark as I cursed myself for my carelessness. I thought about how a lot of the ship parts and treasures that Olimar recovered had been ingested by creatures, and that he needed to defeat them in order to claim his prizes. I cursed myself again at the realization that a valuable piece of technology had just gone to waste on my watch.

And then I got lucky. I didn't understand why right away, but the camera's view suddenly became illuminated by some sort of light. A few seconds later, everything came back into view as the camera spilled onto the cave floor. I hurriedly tried to regain control, and thankfully, it still functioned properly. Once I steered the pod to a safer vantage point, I pointed the camera downward. The Polywort gave off a discontented groan as a Lightning Bug dragged itself away from the scene.

Apparently, the Polywort had decided to eat the Lightning Bug for dessert, and to my great fortune, it protested by delivering an electric shock from the inside. I'd have to be far more cautious in the future.


End file.
